Fire escape



Aug. 17 192s. 1,595,553

F. M. POTTER FIRE ESCAPE FiledFeb. l. 1924 Patented Aug. 17, 1926.

UNITED STATES FRANK M. POTTER, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

FIRE ESCAPE.

Application led February The present improvements relate to iire escapes of the tubular type in which the escaping `person slides from a higher level of the building to a place near the ground, and has more particular reference to means providing an entrance passageway to the chute proper.

Its chief object is to provide for a greater measure of safety and convenience to persons using the escape.

In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a face view ofthe entrance portion of the escape showing a pair of doors; Fig. 2 shows a similar construction, but with only one door; and Fig. 3 isa medial vertical section which may be considered to be on the line 3--3 of Fig. 1. A

My improved passageway construction is installed at a relativelyy large opening in the wall as l0 of the bullding. This opening may conveniently be formed by cutting away the wall below a sillas 11 of a window, the

lower rail of the window sash being shown at 12, Fig. 3. The opening in the wall preferably extends to about the fioor level'at 13, is'preferably rectangular in shape, and is of such width and height as to accommodatean open frame through which persons desiring to enter the chute may conveniently pass.

The frame within the wall opening may comprise the window sill 11, vertical side members 14, and a bottom' transverse member 15, all rigidly secured together. The frame may/be of wood and has substantial cross dimensions for strength. It is well secured to the building wall, as by cementing it in place, by` having it engage with retaining wall portions as at 16, or in any other approved way. There is also an adjacent rectangular frame 'comprising a top member 17 a bottom member 18 and two side members 19, all well secured together and to the-other frame parts mentioned, and also to the building Wall where feasible, and it is preferably substantially flush with the inner surface of the wall. Top and side facing strips 20 and 21, Figs. 1 and 2, overlie the wall on the inside and, being secured rigidly to the frame structure, assist in holding' the frame in place and also give finish to the construction.

The tubular chute is fragmentarily shown. It is to be understood as extending slantingly downward to a place near the ground, according to practice well known. I have shown also an outer rigid sheet Vmetal cover- 1, 19,24. Serial No. 689,372.

kin g 25 spaced from the inner rigid chute24, wlth Ventilating means at 26 and l27, which double construction of the tubular escape is more fully described and claimed in a copending application by me filed January 16, 1924 as Serial No. 686,527. The chute proper 24 is rigidly secured to a sheet-metal passageway-forming structure comprising a top wall 28, which is illustrated as being flat and which slants downward and outward slightly; also two vertically disposed flat sheet metal side members 29, one of which is shown in Fig. 3, and also a sheet metal bottom member 30,. together with a'sheet metal front portion 31, which is to be understood as being funnel-like or of flaring construction whereby its walls converge to a circular shape at 32a where it meets and is rigidly secured to the circular chute 24. This sheet-metal entrance-passageway-forming structure is rigidly secured to the wooden frame already described, as by nails or screws as illustrated.

The doors 32, Fig. 1, and the door 33, Fig. 2 are hingedly mounted respectively at 34, at the vertical sides of the doors respectively and to the frame structure, and in such manner that the doors will swing inward into the passageway-forming structure, as shown by dotted-lines in Fig. 3, and lie 'alongside the sheet4 metal side walls 29. The arrangement is such that the top wall 28 of the passageway structure is above the door or doors when opened, and the structure is made so roomy and spacious and given such shape that the door or doors may take an out-of-the-way position at the side or sides of the passageway device and within the passageway whereby the passageway is unobstructed by them and free for the passage of persons into the chute.

Fastening or locking means are provided for the doors when. in closed posltion, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and these holding means may conveniently take the form of transverse handlebars 35 projecting outward and mounted to rock downward and thereby actuate vertically-movable holding rods 36 and 37 so as to draw their respective ends out of engagement with suitable o enings in the frame structure at top and ottom. It is unnecessary to describe in detail the holdin mechanism illustrated as they are not in ividually new and various types oi' door-holding means adapted to be released upon movement of auch a hand lever as 35, whether for one door or for two doors, are well known. f

I provide a hand-hold 38 at the upper portion of the entrance opening and within the building when the doors are closed, and this handlhold preferably takes the form of a bar extending from side to side of the entrance opening at the upper portion thereof and at a place which will not interfere with the inward opening movement of the door or doors. The object of the hand-hold is to facilitate the escape of persons from the building. In making his escape the person grasps this hand-hold or .bar and either steadies himself by it or swings upon it into the entrance passageway, having first, of course, operated the hand-lever as 35 to release thecatchand allow the door or doors to swing inward out orf the way.

Fire escapes of this character are emloyed largely in connection with school buildings, and the height of the entrance passageway is ordinarily such that children may swing themselves quite readily into the chute while grasping the bar or hand-hold as 38. Older persons, better able to handle 'their bodies in emergencies, may use the hand-hold :for steadying themselves while entering the passageway feet lirst; but such a provision is particularly important 1n the case of children, who, in the excitement attending their escape from a burning building, might otherwise get into the chute so inaptly as to descend head first, objectionable for various reasons including a head-on landing.

' It will be noted that the passageway-forming structure has its downwardly-inclined bottom 30 leading directly into the chute 24, and that this bottom 30 begins to slant downwardly close to the opening into the room. This provision is particularl advantageous in connection with a han -hold as 38 since a swinging movement of the child into the passageway landshim at once upon v a surface downwardly inclined and his gravitational descent "begins without any scrambling forward, and vthus a highly expeditious movement of bodies into and through the passageway can take place.

The provision of an entrance passageway having its lowerportion at about the floor level ishighly important in connection with such inwardly-moving doors since both features combine to render the passage of bodies one after the other into thel chute moreexpeditious; and the provision of the hand-hold as 38 contributes further safety and expedition, as does also the downwardlyinclined bottom beginning close to the entrance. All used together render the device unusually effective for the important object, safety, of such a device.

I have shown a coiled tension spring 40 secured to a housing part, las to the top Wall 28 at the s ide wall, and which has theeffect of drawingthe vdoor open when the doorrelease lever 35 is operated. The spring also maintains the door open and out of the way while the device is being used. In practice the lirst person making `his'escape may simply press against the lever -35 with his body and thereupon the door liies open. It is desirable to have the door or doors locked against entrance from the outside.

I contemplate as being included in these improvements such modifications and departures from what is herein specica'lly illustrated anddescribed as fall within the scope of the appended claim.

In a lire esca e, the combination with t-he wall of a building having a relatively large openin therethrough extending upward from a out the floor level,`of means at said opening forming a housed-inl entrance passageway open tothe interiorv of the building and extending upward from about the floor level, a tubular escape chute leading from said passageway-forming-means outside the building, a pair of doors closing said passageway, each door being hinged at its side to swing inward into an out-of-the-way'po- 'sition within saidpassageway substantially at right angles to its closing position and being positioned at the entrance opening thereinto, fastening means for said door, and means including a handle readily operable by the hand of a person standing on the door within the building at the doors to release said fastening means, said passageway forming means having a downwardly-inclined bottom beginning substantially at the 4bottom of the doors when closed'.

FRANK M. Porres.

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